Garbage and bottle collections

Excessive noise

Waste collections are part of everyday life in the city. Waste collection is generally required to be conducted out-of-hours for motorist and pedestrian safety and in the interests of traffic flows. However, they should not be causing regular sleep disturbances to residents.

If you are experiencing excessive noise from garbage collections, it is important to identify where the disturbance is coming from.

Concerns regarding excessive noise from residential waste collection may be directed to the City of Sydney.

If the excessive noise is coming from waste collections associated with commercial premises you can discuss the issue with the business concerned and let them know you are being affected. If this does not resolve the issue and you consider the noise to be offensive, for example if it's affecting the comfort and use of your home, then you can refer your complaint to the City to investigate.

Please complete the noise diary log for a period of 10 days, available for download below, before you contact us. The information you provide within the diary log will help us give you the appropriate advice, which may also be used as evidence should we take any legal action on your behalf.

The diary log should contain but is not limited to the following information:

name and address of the premises being serviced

name of the waste management company

the vehicle registration number and any photographs

all dates and times of offences.

Garbage collection complaint procedure

The City may contact the company concerned and use the evidence you provide with any other evidence gathered by authorised officers of the City, to present to the businesses concerned.

Where enough evidence is gathered, the City may serve legal notices to control noise from waste collections that are creating offensive noise. The City may also be able to take action if a business is not complying with collection times on their development consent.